Young readers are invited to write a personal letter to an author for the Letters about Literature (LAL contest, a national reading and writing promotion program. The letter can be to any author (living or dead) from any genre (fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic) explaining how that author's work changed the student's life or view of the world. Prizes will be awarded on both the state and national levels. A panel of judges from the South Carolina Center for the Book will select the top letter writers in the state, to be honored in an awards ceremony on April 29, 2016. Their winning letters will be published online at the South Carolina Center for the Book's website. South Carolina winners will also receive monetary prizes up to $100, and then advance to the national judging. For more information and entry forms, please visit www.read.gov/letters. Submissions from Grades 9-12 must be postmarked by December 4, 2015.
